Newt Gingrich's comments on Palestine are ignorant, damaging

Scott Olson/Getty ImagesFormer Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich speaks during a debate hosted by CNBC and the Michigan Republican Party at Oakland University on November 9 in Rochester, Michigan.

Newt Gingrich’s latest rhetorical firebomb, this one on Palestine, is a reminder that his erratic and undisciplined personality is a better fit for talk radio than the Oval Office.

Gingrich called the Palestinians “an invented people” as if to diminish the legitimacy of their claim to statehood. He went on to call them “terrorists” without distinguishing between Hamas, the fanatics who rule Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority, which has renounced violence.

First, the invented people: Gingrich’s point is that Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I, so their nationalist aspirations are somehow manufactured. But what about Iraq and Jordan, which were also part of that empire? For that matter, what about Israel? Would Gingrich also insult those nations by suggesting their relatively recent births mean their drives for statehood are somehow less legitimate?

As for terrorism, he needs to differentiate between Hamas, which regularly lobs missiles into Israel, and the Palestinian Authority, which is cooperating successfully with Israeli security forces to halt attacks from the West Bank.

Lumping them together shows that Gingrich is ignorant or, more likely, is purposely provoking a fight for political advantage. Perhaps he believes that posing as the toughest defender of Israel will strengthen his position among Evangelical supporters of Israel who regard him with such suspicion.

Whatever his motive, this does damage. Arabs are already suspicious of America’s motives, given the financial and military support the United States provides to Israel even as it expands its settlements in occupied Arab lands. To hear the Republican front-runner spout such nonsense is bound to strengthen those suspicions.

Gingrich also accused President Obama of “favoring the terrorists,” which will no doubt come as news to the survivors of Osama bin Laden. Let’s face it: Newt is a nut. It is flat-out scary that he is the Republican front-runner.